TBW Daily Diary

A Terrible Night

Bob decided to forgo the fireworks and left me to work on my jigsaw puzzle. (My last two “bargain” puzzles each had one piece missing; drat.) . . . Moments after the aerial extravaganza, some kind of outdoor entertainment began for the “p-ss and puke” crowd downtown. Although I am six blocks from the action it sounded as if it was next door. Friends on Cumberland Street and even ones in the Waterford Apartments in Wormleysburg were disturbed as well. I called the police department twice; on the second call a harried dispatcher said they had been inundated with calls but apparently there was no one with any authority to act. The “entertainment” (for which read racket) went on until after 2 a.m. . . . About 1:30 a.m. two people were robbed at gunpoint just steps from my front door. The gun—deliberately or accidentally?—went off after the fact, and it was LOUD. Officers came to investigate some time later and found the shell casing, their only “lead.” Hope to learn more details. This is the third or fourth late-night mugging in our neighborhood in the past few weeks . . . Hours earlier Matt Simmons e-mailed CAN residents that there had been two recent daylight burglaries in the 800 block of North Second Street. You may recall that the same happened in the 700 block of North Second just a few weeks ago . . . The quality of life certainly has deteriorated in the city since the new administration took over and the Patriot-News appears to be oblivious to the situation. None of these incidents make the paper anymore. In the “fondly remembered old days” Mayor Reed and Chief Keller would have attacked the situation head on with undercover officers in our area around the clock . . . Perhaps Matt or others with those e-mail lists of Council members and the Pat-News will send along this entry. It is time we make our voices heard . . . Amy and Doug Hill spent part of their weekend hiking on the Appalachian Trail . . . Kim and Erica spent the holiday at the shore and brought Bob and me a big canister of caramel popcorn. Eric and Joanne did their kayak thing . . . Also we were blessed with some treats from Ron Veitch’s kitchen . . .